The 59th annual Grammy Awards arrive Sunday in Los Angeles, loaded with superstar showdowns, odd-couple collaborations and tributes to deceased music legends. Here are five things to watch:

Beyoncé vs. Adele

Will Beyoncé’s “Lemonade” win Album of the Year? The 35-year-old R&B star has never won the top Grammy, despite earning 20 awards and 62 nominations in her two-decade-long career. Adele’s “25” and Drake’s “Views,” which garnered lukewarm reviews, are underdogs, while Justin Bieber’s “Purpose” and Sturgill Simpson’s “A Sailor’s Guide to Earth” are long shots. Beyoncé and Adele are battling over two more major awards: Song of the Year, which recognizes composers and songwriters, and Record of the Year, devoted to song performers, producers and engineers. Since Adele won Album of the Year for 2011’s “21,” 2017 feels like Beyoncé’s year. But Grammy voters have a habit of favoring traditional songcraft (Adele) over pop-music zeitgeist (Beyoncé). Last year, Taylor Swift’s pop-queen-coming-out album “1989” beat Kendrick Lamar’s socially-conscious “To Pimp a Butterfly.” No matter who wins, the Album of the Year award is an example of the music business congratulating itself. Four of the five nominees are No. 1 albums with sales (including streams) of 10.7 million (“25”), 5 million (“Purpose”), 4.7 million (“Views”) and 2.4 million (“Lemonade”), according to Nielsen Music. If Adele wins, she will be the second woman, after Taylor Swift, to win “Album” twice for her own project. If Beyoncé receives eight awards Sunday—she’s nominated for nine—she will surpass Alison Krauss as the most-honored woman in Grammy history.

Crazy Collabs & Star-Studded Tributes

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The Grammys may tap Bruno Mars to do a Prince tribute.
Photo:
REUTERS

Unlikely collaborative performances are a Grammy tradition. This year, William Bell, a 77-year-old soul singer and songwriter (“I Forgot To Be Your Lover”) jams with 32-year-old guitar phenom Gary Clark Jr. French electronic-pop duo Daft Punk teams up with R&B star The Weeknd for its first live performance since 2014. And there’s a mashup of Metallica and Lady Gaga, a “Heavy Metal Lover” who’s making her third-straight Grammys appearance. Perhaps Sunday’s most anticipated performance is a solo pop star, Katy Perry—unless Beyoncé shows up. Last year saw a flood of high-profile musician deaths. This year’s Grammys program lists some 775 artists and industry people who died in 2016, slightly less than 2015’s 823. Tributes to artists such as Prince and George Michael can be daunting for performers. This year, the Grammys may be tapping the multitalented pop star Bruno Mars—who does a mean
Michael Jackson
impersonation—to handle Prince.

Chance the Rapper and His Chances

Chance The Rapper is a top contender for best new artist.
Photo:
Getty Images

This exuberant 23-year-old MC ascended to pop’s highest echelons last year, earning a No. 8 album on streaming metrics alone, performing on “Saturday Night Live” three times and becoming a favorite of President Obama’s with his gospel-rap. Streaming-only albums like Chance’s “Coloring Book” are now eligible for Grammys, so he is a powerful contender for Best New Artist. There are two obstacles, however. As an unsigned artist, Chance isn’t exactly an industry darling. He criticizes major record labels and sought Apple’s help promoting “Coloring Book.” The Best New Artist category is also more competitive than last year. There’s singer-rapper-drummer Anderson .Paak, part of the recent R&B renaissance; country-pop’s Kelsea Ballerini; DJ duo The Chainsmokers who, despite the derision of critics, are formidable hitmakers; and Maren Morris, whose major-label debut, “Hero,” a collection of country-ish tunes with huge, old-fashioned pop hooks, evokes Taylor Swift just before she went pop.

The Grammys’ Diversity Problem

The Grammy Awards continue to be accused of misrepresenting contemporary black music. R&B singer Frank Ocean has criticized the Grammys as being out of touch and is boycotting. Kanye West and Justin Bieber may boycott as well. Frank Ocean didn’t submit for Grammy consideration his well-received “Blonde” and “Endless” albums because he has said the Grammys aren't representative of artists like him. Ten black artists have won Album of the Year in the awards’ 58-year history. Only two hip-hop artists have—OutKast and Lauryn Hill. The Recording Academy declined to comment.

The Elephant in the Room: Donald Trump

Grammy host James Corden has already expressed his opinions about the new administration.
Photo:
Neilson Barnard/Getty Images

Music superstars are likely weighing whether to use the Grammys as a forum to criticize President Donald Trump. “Late Late Show” star James Corden, who replaces five-year Grammy host, LL Cool J, has already expressed his views on the new administration. Following President Trump’s executive order on immigration and refugees, Mr. Corden aired a pointed video showing the host going through security at Los Angeles International Airport. At the end, a black screen reads: “Freedom of movement should be this easy for all legal immigrants. Not just the white and Christian ones.” Expect some fireworks.